Paris Offers Sweet Incentives to Ditch Your Car for a Bike

When President Donald Trump signed a major federal tax overhaul in December, he did away with a small, $20-a-month reimbursement for commuter cyclists that had been on the books since 2009. But as the US takes away financial incentives for riding, some European countries are seeking to expand them.

Back in October, for instance, Sweden began reimbursing citizens who buy electric bikes for 25 percent of the purchase price. France tried something similar in February 2017, offering a flat €200 (about $250) subsidy for e-bike purchases through January 2018. Meanwhile the city of Oslo, Norway, turned its focus to cycling families, offering residents $1,200 toward the purchase of an electric cargo bike.

Now, France’s capital city is taking things a step further. Cycling Industry News reported on Wednesday that Paris will begin to offer hefty tax incentives for residents who buy e-bikes and cargo bikes, or who otherwise ditch their cars in favor of cycling and other forms of transportation.

Subsidies on the table include: up to €400 ($495) for e-bike purchases; €600 ($744) toward both electric and conventional cargo bikes; and €400 for residents who upgrade their conventional bikes with electrical assists. Each subsidy applies to only one bike per person.

The city will also offer €600 for residents who get rid of their personal cars. Furthermore, any Parisian obtaining their driver’s license will also get a €50 ($62) credit toward Vélib', the city’s bike-share program.

These subsidies come after Mayor Anne Hidalgo went on the record last fall saying she wants the city to ban diesel cars by 2024—the year Paris will host the Summer Olympics—and rid itself of all gas-powered cars by 2030. Her vision: a city where residents get around only by bike, public transit, and electric vehicles.

Paris had previously offered residents more than $11,000 USD to swap their gas-powered cars for electric ones. It’s also in the midst of a plan to add about 50 miles of bike lanes and some 10,000 bicycle parking spaces around the city by 2020.

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